Sharing the goodness of god through experiences and scripture.

Tag Archives: Trust

1 Thessalonians 5:18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve quoted that scripture I’d have a lot of dollars!

1 Thessalonians 5:18 changed my outlook on life and increased my trust in God. Recognizing that everything that happens in my life can only happen because God is allowing it to, has given me a peace that I can’t begin to adequately explain. It’s helped me to look for the good in bad situations and it’s the motivation I need to muster up praise when trials come. It’s allowed me to be in an attitude of expectancy when the enemy starts attacking because I know that something great is in the working. When God doesn’t stop an attack from coming it means that like Job, God knows that this thing is not enough to remove my trust, faith and belief in Him. It has helped me to understand that I’m strong in Christ and the only reason I go through difficult situations and persecution is because I have, in me, the strength to endure and overcome them.

I know all of this sounds fantastic and would make for the perfect motivational speech. It might give the impression that my spirits are always high and that I don’t have moments of brokenness and sorrow. It would probably convince some that I’ve never felt like throwing in the towel. That, my friend, would be the furthest thing from the truth.

I have days when I get up and for reasons unknown to me I feel depressed. I’ve had days when I felt like there’s a brick wall inside my head that stops me from thinking clearly, praising and at times even talking to God. People upset me, situations annoy me and sometimes I wish I had an island I can go to and get away from everyone and everything. That’s when 1 Thessalonians 5:18 helps. In those times of unexplainable depression and frustration when my world comes crashing down around me and nothing seems to be going my way I remember that if these things are happening it’s because God is allowing it and it is His will for my life.

When things are going great it’s very easy for me to sing, dance and offer praises unto God. The problem is finding a way to offer praises unto my Father when I’m surrounded by difficulties and when I feel spiritually weak. In those moments of brokenness my hallelujah comes from a different place. It comes from a place of brokenness but just as The Afters sang in their song Broken Hallelujah, “When all is taken away, don’t let my heart be changed. Let me always sing hallelujah. When I feel afraid, don’t let my hope be erased. Let me always sing hallelujah.”

I won’t always have the strength or the zeal to worship the way I usually do, but as broken as I feel I will always offer hallelujah unto my father even if it’s a broken one. I believe in Christ and I desire to live by every word written in the bible. His word says that everything that happens in my life is His will for me. If His word says it, I believe it and I will live by it, understanding that it is true.

Your praise may not always come from a joyful place but give it anyway, because as broken as it may seem God deserves it and He will accept it.

Matthew 6:10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.

I have been pondering the above scripture for some time now and I can’t begin to express the excitement I feel when I say the four bold words above. YOUR WILL BE DONE!

It takes a level of humility, trust and faith to sincerely pray such a prayer. So many times I have repeated the Our Father prayer and not realized the true magnitude of its words. Only now as God is taking me through a season of pruning and grooming that my eyes have been opened and my heart blessed with various revelations in this scripture. While there are many parts of this prayer I can expound upon, tonight I will focus on those four words in verse 10 of Matthew chapter 6.

I believe that we have been boxing God in by praying for things and not accepting that what we ask for may not be what God intends for our life.

2 Timothy 1:8-9 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to HIS OWN PURPOSE and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.

When God saved and called us it was according to HIS purpose. God has an intended purpose for each of our lives and sometimes we don’t fully understand what it is, so we try to shape our lives a particular way, by praying for specific things which we sincerely believe are in alignment with God’s design for us. Don’t get me wrong, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with asking God for what is in our hearts, however we need to be mindful that if what we want is not what God intends for our life then we need to accept His will when it is manifested in our lives.

The manifestation of God’s will outside of ones desire is exemplified in Luke 22:42-43 saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.

This was the night Jesus would be betrayed and he went to His father earnestly asking to not have to face the pain of the cross. In His prayer Christ acknowledged that His Father’s will should be done above all else. Here we see that instead of removing the cross from Jesus’ destiny, God instead strengthened Him for the rest of the journey.

I believe that this is what is happening today with a lot of believers. We are asking God for things and praying about circumstances with the expectation that God is going to say yes. We have not considered that what we desire may not be God’s will for our lives. It is very possible that some of the things the people of God are asking for will not come the way we’re expecting it. Some of the things may not come at all because they are not in alignment with God’s will for our lives. The problem lies not in the answer from God, but in our ability or willingness to accept an answer contrary to what we desire.

As I type I realize that I am guilty of such actions. I ask God for things sometimes and I really do expect Him to give it to me or to work out situations in a particular way, in a specific time frame and I don’t leave room for His will to be done in my life. God’s will for Jesus on the cross was our salvation. If he had taken the cross from Christ, if Jesus’ blood was not shed we would not have the promise of eternal life today. Clearly the will of God supersedes the desires of men.

It’s time for change. It’s time for us to mean what we say when we pray. It’s time for God’s children to trust His will for our lives and embrace the purpose for which we have been called!